Munimji

Though the story may seem hackneyed now, it had not been used too many times when this film was released. It was ably directed by Subodh Mukerji. The film was a personal triumph for Dev Anand, who carried the whole film on his shoulders, and acted with aplomb in three different get ups, that of the "munimji" with long moustaches and stooping shoulders, his usual dashing self and that of a soothsayer. He lost the Best Actor Filmfare award that year to Dilip Kumar, who was also seen in a swashbuckling role of "Azad", also donning three different get ups in the film. Dev was ably supported by Nalini Jaywant, Pran and Nirupa Roy, who was to become famous for similar roles, culminating in "Deewar" as Amitabh and Shashi Kapoor's sacrificing mother. Another highlight of the film was Sachin Deb Burman's music, with the majority of the songs becoming chartbusters. The most popular song was Kishore Kumar's "Jeevan ke safar mein rahi, milte hain bichhad jane ko". Lata's sad version of the song was equally well rendered. Among Lata's other numbers was the classical based light number, "Ghayal hiraniya, main ban ban boloon", picturised on Nalini Jaywant, when she is waiting for Dev Anand in a forest, and as she is singing, she gets frightened by wild animals and birds, all beautifully composed in the song and the sargam. Her other numbers were "Ek nazar bas ek nazar", "Ankh khulte hi tum chhup gaye ho kahan". Other good numbers were "Nain khoye khoye, tere dil mein bhi kuchh hoye re" by Lata and chorus, "O' Shiv ji bihane chale palki sajaye ke" by Hemant Kumar and chorus, and "Zindagi hai zinda" by Geeta Dutt and chorus. A peculiarly melodious song was "Dil ki umangen hain jawan, rang mein dooba hai saman" by Hemant Kumar and Geeta Dutt, with a comic element added in the voice of one Thakur, wherein Pran tries to woo Nalini Jaywant by singing to her when he sees Dev Anand doing the same.

In short, an enjoyable movie with lovable music score.

Time and again it is proved to me that even the smallest thing takes places only when its due time has arrived. This review had been planned by me one year back upon the sad demise of Nalini Jaywant on 24.12.2010 but its writing kept on getting postponed because I wanted to watch this movie once again before writing the review. And neither could I get a VCD / DVD of it nor found it on internet until Dev Anand passed away on 04.12.2011 after which I checked for it again on internet and got this time.

The word Munim has an African origin whose meaning is benefactor. However, in our country, the general handymen of big businessmen and landlords were called Munim who used to do all the things related to the business or money-matters (maintaining account-books, controlling cash and other assets, dealing with parties and banks and the likewise). The title of this movie is as such because the hero remains in the get-up of a Munim while working for the villain and is called Munimji (respected Munim)by the heroine.

It's the story of Maalti (Nirupa Roy) who gives birth to the son of her wealthy lover who refuses to accept her as his wife and her son as his heir. He has married someone else and got another son through his legitimate wife. Due to his sudden demise, Maalti gets an opportunity to change his other son with her own son and she keeps on living in his house as a maid-servant, taking care of both the children. But now due to the exchange of children by her, her son is called the legitimate son and heir of the deceased person whereas she treats the other child as her own son (i.e, the son of a maid-servant who should serve the master). That son is Amar (Dev Anand) who is devoted to his (apparent) mother - Maalti being ignorant of the injustice that she has done to him and he serves as Munim in the factory of another rich man which is managed by his step-brother, Ratan (Pran). The daughter of that rich man, Rupa (Nalini Jaywant) is the betrothed of Amar since infancy but due to Maalti's exchange of the male-children, she is considered the betrothed of Ratan. Amar and Ratan hate each other and that hatred is increased only when they become rivals for Rupa's love. Amar meets Rupa as Raj and she starts loving him whereas he keeps on meeting her in the get-up of Munimji also saying that he is related to Raj and can act as a messenger between herself and Raj.

Ratan, on the other hand, is not only a spoiled youth who embezzles factory money for the sake of gambling but he is also a bandit who carries on his activities in the fake name of Kaala Ghoda (black horse). He wants to marry Rupa to get hold of her father's wealth but he is already secretly married to another girl, Bela (Ameeta). In the climax, Maalti comes to know that the bandit Kaala Ghoda is none else but her son Ratan only. She tells Ratan the truth that she only is his mother and not the mother of Amar who is the actual heir of their father. Ratan imprisons her so that she is not able to tell his true identity to the world and threatens Amar to kill her. For the sake of mother's life, Amar confesses before the police that he only is the bandit Kaala Ghoda and gets arrested. Ratan is all set to marry Rupa now when the mother gets released from his prison and reaches the matrimonial place to correct her errors and ensure that Amar gets what he deserves.

Young and dashing Dev Anand and gorgeous Nalini Jaywant have played their parts well and their on-screen romance is pretty impressive. Though DevSaab is over the top in emotional scenes, his dashing personality makes up for the deficiency in acting. Pran as a baddie is good like always and he has generated laughs too for the audience through his performance in the song - Dil Ki Umangen Hain Jawaan. Barely 24 years old Nirupa Roy is completely miscast in the role of the mother of 32 years old Dev Anand. Despite wearing a wig of gray-hair, her youth is not hidden and from no angle does she appear to be that old as the director wanted her to look like. However she has performed well. Ameeta as the clandestine wife-cum-accomplice of the villain has got less scope but has performed satisfactorily.

S.D. Burman's music is the biggest asset of this movie. The best song is undoubtedly Kishore Kumar's immortal song - Jeevan Ke Safar Mein Raahi, Milte Hain Bichhad Jaane Ko. Its another version in Lata's voice is also there in the movie. Other Lata songs in the movie - Nain Khoye Khoye Mere Dil Mein Kuchh Hoye Re, Aankh Khulte Hi Tum Chhup Gaye Ho Kahaan, Ghaayal Hiraniya Main Ban Ban Doloon, Ek Nazar Bas Ek Nazar etc. are also quite melodious and impressive. Shivji Bihaane Chale (Hemant Kumar), Zindagi Hai Zinda (Geeta Dutt) and Dil Ki Umangen Hain Jawaan (Hemant Kumar-Geeta Dutt) are also good to listen.

While paying my tribute to late DevSaab and Nalini Ji, I recommend this entertaining movie to one and all. If you are sick of watching the crap being served by several contemporary filmmakers, please watch this musical romance-cum-social drama from the black and white era of Indian cinema and let me assure you that you won't regret after watching it.

Munimji (1955) : Brief Review -

Dev Anand and Nalini Jaywant are fun, but Nirupa Roy gets one of the most hateful mother's roles ever. Nirupa Roy is known for her mother's roles in Bollywood, and most of the time they were those abla naari (helpless woman). In all those films, you feel sympathy for her. Contrary to that image, she plays an extremely selfish mother in Munimji. She exchanged her child when he was born because her partner wouldn't accept him. She then takes his son and swipes it with her son, thinking that her son should get all the facilities he deserves. It doesn't take too much brainstorming to predict that her real son turns out to be a bad man, and the one she has kept with her is actually a good man and is ready to sacrifice anything for her. Dev Anand plays that helpless som bound to his mother's wishes who has always preferred her "real son" over him despite his constant abuse. Rupa (Nalini) arrives in town to marry Ratan (Pran, the real son), but falls in love with Raj (Dev Anand, the adopted son). Raj is asked to leave Rupa by his mother for Ratan's sake, but is he the right guy? Munimji has an interesting idea and an engaging screenplay for almost two hours before it starts dragging in the last quarter. The ending is too soapy, and the film looked too stretched with all those songs coming in and boring you to death. "Jeevan ke safar me" is a lovable song, and "O Shiv Ji Bihane Chali" has become quite popular over the years. The rest of the songs don't work. Dev and Nalini are fun, but Nirupa annoys you. Who the hell wrote that character? I have seen a similar formula used for a father in post-90s flicks and even recently in Allu Arjun's AVPL, and I despised that too. But there you see the hero slapping the father; here the hero was helpless because he actually loved the woman as his mother. Nasir Hussain has written better scripts, and Subodh Mukherjee has made better films as well, so I don't think Munimji leaves any impact. Still, a one-time watch for the 50's standard.

RATING - 6/10*

By - #samthebestest.